Age: 28

State: Australian Capital Territory

Occupation: Technology Consultant

Instagram: @gucci_schooey

For Casper Kenworthy, moving out of home aged 17 was the catalyst to learn about cooking …largely when his repertoire of sausages, cereal and instant noodles wore thin. He started out trying to make more of what he wanted to eat, but soon realised the power of food to connect people across uni dorms. Having earned a scholarship to study Aeronautical Engineering at UNSW, Casper’s thesis on deploying drones to herd sheep drew widespread academic acclaim.

Working in hospitality throughout his studies, Casper feels a strong connection to the service-driven industry, and even at home, the rotating cooking roster in his share house has provided many chances to hone his cooking skills – a bona fide mystery box every night just opening the fridge. Casper gets a kick out of impressing his housemates with delicious dishes and enjoying meals together. He shows love and gratitude through his cooking, including for his long-term girlfriend, Chelsea, who shares his passion for food.

Growing up having watched his idols like Josh Niland, Kate Reid and Gordon Ramsay walk through the famous MasterChef Australia doors, this self-confessed food nerd can’t wait to immerse himself in this ultimate microcosm of the food scene.

His current role as a technology consultant within the public sector and health industry has honed Casper’s analytical mindset, something he plans to bring to each cook in the MasterChef kitchen. Preferring a free-flowing style of cooking and experimenting on the fly, Casper won’t be afraid to think outside the box to impress the judges.

He enjoys using recipes as a basis, building and modifying them to make dishes more personal and adventurous. There’s no doubt he will take inspiration from world cuisines and his own travels, with his love for Japanese and Korean cuisine sure to feature.

With a passion for motorsports outside the kitchen, Casper reads cookbooks in his spare time and is heavily inspired by online cooking content and creators. With thoughts of his own supper club or writing a cookbook, Casper’s mind is open to what a future in food might look like after the competition, but for now, his eye is on the prize.